Page 1 of Making Home with You

Prologue

A couple of weeks earlier – Rockport

Finn

I walk into the bar and take a seat at the end in the spot that seems to be tacitly reserved for Pop, Beck or me when one of us isn’t working.

“Wow, what the fuck happened to you?”comes my brother’s voice from the other end of the bar.

I shake my head, scrubbing a hand across my jaw.“Nothing, a work thing.”

“You want a beer?”Beck asks.

I nod and watch as he pours me a pint of Guinness, sliding it down the bar toward me before pouring another for himself.

“You okay?”he asks as he walks closer to me.

“Yeah,” I say, taking a sip of beer.“It’s nothing, really.Just a misunderstanding.”

Beck nods.“Okay, you want something to eat?”

I look over at the kitchen area at the back of the bar and the so-called chef that’s attempting to put some food together.“You got anything apart from deep fried shit?”I ask, even though as a silent partner in this place, I know he doesn’t.

Beck glances over at the kitchen.“Burgers,” he says, half apologetically.

I let out a long exhale.“Man, we gotta do something about that kitchen, Beck.I know I’m only a silent partner in all this, but seriously, the food sucks.”

Beck nods because this isn’t the first time I’ve brought this up and besides which, he also knows it’s the truth.“Yeah, I know.We should sit down sometime and try and work something out.”

“Before the summer,” I say, knowing that tourist season is when we make most of our money on this place.

“Agreed.”

Beck wanders off to serve some regulars, who like me, have come in after a day of work for a couple of quiet ones.The difference being they are here to socialize, while I’m here to relax in my own company.

It’s not that I don’t have friends or drinking buddies, it’s just that after the day, hell, the last couple of weeks I’ve had, a little peace and quiet is exactly what I need.

“Another?”Beck calls out, gesturing toward my glass.

I look down and realize it’s almost empty.“Yeah, thanks.Just gonna hit the bathroom though.”

Beck nods in acknowledgement as I slide off my stool and wander back to the bathrooms.Just as I hit the back corridor, my phone chimes out with a text.I pull it from my pocket, quickly reading the message from Erin before typing out a response.

Before I can hit send however, I’m suddenly hit in the side with a force that sends me flying into the opposite wall and my phone skidding along the floor.

“Fuck!”I say, rubbing my already sore jaw.

“Oh shit,” comes a voice before two hands are on me, pulling my hand away from my face.“Oh shit, shit, shit, look what’ve I done,” the voice says.“Quick, come in here.”

Before I can even process what’s happening, I’m being pulled into what I quickly realize is the ladies’ restroom and backed up against the counter.

“Hold on, I’ll get your phone,” the voice says, disappearing.

The woman the voice belongs to is back before I have a chance to say anything, placing my phone on the counter before turning and grabbing a wad of paper towels, which she immediately holds under the faucet.

“Here, put this on your face,” she says, holding the cool towels to my jaw.

I glance up, my hands going to the towels.“It’s okay, really,” I say, seeing my would-be assailant for the first time.